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SOMETHING NEW |
This
week’s
Rotary Foundation
Thought
is about the
Haiti Safe Water Plus
project. Coordinated by
District 5950 leaders in
Minnesota, it has become a
multi-million dollar,
centerpiece world community
service project that
exemplifies the powerful
impact that Rotarians can
have in the world. Fresh
water wells and sanitation
facilities are being
constructed in the central
plateau area of Haiti and
the Dominican Republic. This
project will provide key
sanitation needs to over 141
villages in these areas. A
local Dominican woman
remarked to a visiting
Rotarian who was inspecting
one of the newly operational
wells, "After Rotary drilled
the well," she said, "the
children stopped dying."
Contributions to the Annual
Programs Fund help make
these projects possible.
.
What would you like to add to the Calendar? Programs for our
club are listed in the Calendar below.
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February - World Understanding Month |
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 |
2
Pam Ferrara
Work Force Analyst Yamhill County |
3 |
| 4 |
5 |
6
McMinnville Interact |
7 |
8 |
9
Dennis Wickham DGN |
10 |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16
James Gorry Inbound Exchange Student |
17 |
| 18 |
19 |
20
McMinnville Interact |
21 |
22 |
23
John Ailstock Vocational Talk |
24 |
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|
opening |
Greeters:
Elise Hui,
John Larsen and Russ Rainwater,
Invocation: Chuck
Pattishall
Pledge: Tom Tankersley |
|
INTRODUCTION OF VISITING ROTARIANS &
GUESTS |
Chuck Pattishall
introduced a table of
guests. Linfield
Roteract officers President Tyler Beesley and VP Kelly Brian;
Matt Gerber our speaker,
his friend Mike Driggers, and President of the high school
Interact Club, Kaleb Nyquist.
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Mike
McKenzie
introduced Gary Eastlund’s guest, accountant Craig
McClain.
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Carol
Benedict
introduced pal/guest/what-ever Andy Benedict.
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MEMBER RECOGNITION &
ANNOUNCEMENTS |
Van Keck
began
his remarks (at 12:20PM) with an absolutely correct-by-the-clock,
and correct-by-the-Four-Way-Test, greeting: “Good afternoon”.
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Bob DeMaster
celebrated a recent birthday and reflected his wife’s birthday,
today, with an appropriate check.
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Members who need
to be recognized but were missing today: Dick Ecker, Ed Gormley,
Dan Corrigan.
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A check with “some possible extra
zeroes” of “$6500” was contributed by birthday-boy Al Owen
(while failing to say which birthday).
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Bob Emrick,
despite a recent birthday (and appropriate contribution), has
decided to move on with his life, anyway.
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Walt Haight
put in a check for his birthday, today, and is especially happy to
greet his wife and daughter at the airport this afternoon as they
return from Japan with a Linfield study-abroad group.
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Al Hansen
announced the meeting of the Foundation Board, next Friday, 10:30AM,
Community Center.
|
 Van Keck
concluded his comments citing the goofy/paradoxical titles of
little-known country and western songs (prompting Walt Haight’s
comment, at the writer’s table, that these are a reason “why I don’t
like country music”).
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|
a letter from nick* |
|
 Richard Weed
read a letter from one of our outbound exchange students, Nick
Parry, in Thailand. Nick’s stay is half-over. He is very
appreciative of the great opportunity to be there. His Thai is so
proficient that he sometimes goes two to three weeks without
speaking any English. We understand from his Mom that Nick is
"having the time of his life." You can read Nick's letter below. |
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INDUCTION OF A NEW MEMBER |
  Nancy Nelson,
administrator at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Clinic, was brought into
membership. She is sponsored by Ray Fields. John Larsen
gave a good overview of the wide varieties open to members to serve
the Club and our community. Welcome Nancy!!
SEE JOHN IF YOU WANT TO
CONSIDER POSSIBLE WAYS YOU CAN PROVIDE SERVICE.
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|
MAIN EVENT |
|
 Teresa Smith introduced our speaker
Matt Gerber. A graduate of George Fox University, Matt did his
first trip abroad as a
District 5100 Rotary Youth Exchange
student in 1997 to Australia. “Try
to imagine a farm boy from Eastern Oregon living on a great surfing
beach in Australia for an entire year!” Matt’s host club had 52
members so his host counselor organized a member per week for the entire year
who would take Matt on an adventure-of-the-week.
Even as a boy he enjoyed the support
of his parents in his desires to explore new places. Both of his
siblings have also been Rotary Exchange students.
He has traveled in nearly 50
countries. “ONE OF MY MAIN MESSAGES FOR YOU IS THAT ROTARY
YOUTH EXCHANGE
PROGRAMS, INTERACT, ROTARACT, RYLA, ETC. ARE PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT
THAN YOU MAY THINK.”
 He started a company,
TeamWorks
International, which links volunteers to needs around the world. This
organization is a direct result of his four trips to a very isolated
village in Nicaragua. By careful communication with the village
(and other locations abroad) about the passions of his volunteers he
seeks to link local needs with the interest of volunteers. Matt’s
personal passion for medical care led him to being welcomed at the
local “hospital” and immediately being given major surgery
responsibilities (no matter that he had no prior training). “I’ve
probably participated in 40 surgeries.”
 Another project serves street kids
in Ethiopia, who have been orphaned by AIDS and warfare, by building
a relationship with key people and then linking volunteers with
those in the community. He finds local Rotary clubs to be
especially helpful.
President Art
expressed our appreciation by announcing a book donation to SMART in
the name of Matt’s organization. |
ANNOUNCEMENTS
|
Bob Emrick
prompted Jan Fyant to share “her good news”. She has
recently become engaged to Randy Hartzell. Congratulations Jan!
|
Bob Emrick
invited our consideration of his wife’s “Opera for Dummies” program,
February 10, 7PM (concert at 7:30) at the Lawrence Gallery in The
Pearl. Would make a great Valentine’s Day outing. Contact
Bob
for information and tickets (or phone 503-437-0053).
|
 Ray
Fields brought the club up to date on the Dictionary
Project. He explained that we now have received a matching grant
from the District to allow us to distribute dictionaries to all
of the 4th grade students in Amity, Perrydale, Dayton, Yamhill,
Carlton, and McMinnville School Districts. In addition we will
also be distributing dictionaries in the four private schools in
McMinnville as well as identifiable students being home
schooled. He indicated that dictionaries are on there way and
the first phase of the project will be a social event where we
will be putting labels in the dictionaries some time during the
month of February. This will be followed by distribution of the
dictionaries to the students in March during Literacy Month.
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CLOSING
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President Art then
adjourned the meeting |
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NICK'S LETTER
Well my exchange
is half over. It has finally set in. I just saw my last
oldie (person from the southern hemisphere who leaves 6
months earlier than
me) off to return to South Africa. That really didn't
turn my head, but what
did was last night I was putting some more things on my
Rotary blazer.
I had made the finishing touches and put it on, when I
looked in the mirror
I just stared. I couldn't believe that this is what I am
going to wear coming
home. That in less then 6 months I'll be back to the
life which I left what
seems like forever ago. It's half way over, when they
tell you that it fly's
you of coarse hear the words but I didn't truly
comprehend them until this
point. If I'm half way done with this exchange and the
second half goes
faster than the first I'm going to blink my eyes and be
home. It's a very
strange feeling and it motivates me to learn and take in
as much as
possible.
I'm not sure if you have herd of the recent events in
Thailand, but there have
been several bombings taking place
mainly in the south. Since New Years the
bombing have been moving throughout
Thailand. I personally am not to concerned
and Rotary has done a good job on
reassuring me that I am in no danger.
My city is a large one but very quiet
and we have very few foreigners.
I have hardly seen any white people
on this exchange in my city.
So I am not concerned. However, I
will be staying home and suspending my
travels for the next few weeks. I have been doing a lot
of traveling
lately, it has been a lot of fun and I've seen such
amazing things that it's
almost too much to take in. I have seen ancient temple
ruins 3 times as old
as our country, I've seen an umbrella made by hand, a
Buddhist monk
enlightenment ceremony, a kings birthday, countless
cities, tombs of past
kings and queens, waterfalls that are so beautiful and
warm, with crystal clear
water, and so much more. I have really enjoyed this
country and am
incredibly thankful to be here.
My Thai at this point is very good. I have moved
host families as I
have told you before and they too do not speak any
English. This has only
helped my Thai. I find myself going 2 to 3 weeks without
speaking English.
On my recent trip to Korat I kept finding my self
unknowingly switching to
Thai whist speaking to other exchange students. Very
frustrating at times,
but at the same time it makes me laugh to think I've
forgotten English! I
still have trouble with writing but I am reading well
now. Little books
billboards and such aren't a problem. So it's nice to
finally say that the
language is just there, I don't have to think about it
anymore, when someone
says something to me I don't have to translate the
answer in my head. It
just comes out as what it is.
Once again thank you so much for giving me this
opportunity. To the
outbound exchange students, let me say this. This
exchange is awesome! Your
gunna have the time of your lives!!!!!!! Everyday is
just like...... I don't
know awesome!!!!! Make sure you don't have too many ties
to home when you
leave and just live everyday like your going home
tomorrow!!!!! Your in for a
ride!!!!!
Anyways, take care and thanks!
Chok-dee-na-krab Pom-mai-kitun-ban-dai-haa-duan-eek-pom-ja-pai-ban!!!!!!!
Nick Parry
Thailand
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Photos by Diane Haugeberg
Meeting text Frank Bumpus
Edited for the web by Ray Fields
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Did
you miss this meeting and need a makeup? Here is
a list of places that you can makeup on the web.
-
District model eClubs
-
Zone model eClubs
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"When
meeting day comes around, I do not have to decide
whether to attend or not, for that has already been
decided for me . . . it was one of the obligations I
accepted when I joined Rotary." -- A Rotarian |
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